XFL Houston Roughnecks

Roughnecks Handle Arlington to Move to 2-0

February 27, 2023 - XFL (XFL)
Houston Roughnecks News Release


The Houston Roughnecks remain undefeated this season as they took down the Arlington Renegades at TDECU Stadium, 23-14.

Both Houston and Arlington came into the matchup with a 1-0 record, leading the XFL South Division. The Roughnecks now solely possess the top spot in the XFL South Division. With a 7-0 franchise record on the line, the Houston Roughnecks came out of the gates swinging with DB Ajene Harris recording an interception on the Renegades' opening play from scrimmage, resulting in a 42-yard Hunter Duplessis field goal. The following drive, the Roughnecks' defense followed up with three sacks in a row by DL C.J. Brewer, OLB Tim Ward, and ILB Emmanuel Ellerbee. After William Likely's 42-yard punt return to the Renegades five-yard-line, the Roughnecks were up early thanks to WR Nick Holley's 5-yard touchdown in traffic, giving them an 11-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

While the Roughnecks dominated all 15 minutes of the first quarter, the Renegades' special teams got them going in the second quarter. Although the Roughnecks' defense continued to put up big stops on third down, the Renegades' special teams would flourish with two punt return fumble recoveries to score 14 unanswered points, giving them a 14-11 lead in the final minutes of the second quarter. While Houston fired on all cylinders in the first quarter, the second proved to be a quarter riddled with overthrown passes and multiple fumbles.

The third quarter was more on the quiet side for fans in the stadium as this set of 15 minutes turned into a back and forth three-and-out sequence for both teams. Luckily for the Roughnecks, there was a small amount of momentum for the boys in blue coming out of the locker room. WR Cedric Byrd managed to stay on his feet in tight traffic to put Houston back on top with a 15-yard touchdown catch, making the score 17-14.

While many mistakes were made in the third quarter, the Roughnecks marched back onto the field and dominated in the final quarter. Houston controlled possession for approximately 8 minutes after a wide-open interception by DB Sean Davis put the game back in their hands. The fight continued for the Roughnecks to seal the game with a big gain of 24 yards on 3rd & 11 to the Arlington 47-yard line. An illegal contact penalty against the Renegades would later lead to a 4-yard touchdown by RB Max Borghi on the ground, giving them a 23-14 lead. With the game clock reading triple zeroes, the Houston Roughnecks finished week 2 victorious.

The Roughnecks will finish out their season-opening, three-game homestand on Sunday, March 5 against the San Antonio Brahmas at TDECU Stadium. Game 3 will air on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. CT.

POSTGAME NOTES

‚¬Â¢ The Houston Roughnecks are 7-0 all-time, dating back to the 2020 season.

‚¬Â¢ Both DB Ajene Harris and DB Sean Davis came up with an interception for the pesky Houston secondary.

‚¬Â¢ RB Max Borghi now has a rushing TD in back-to-back games.

‚¬Â¢ The Roughneck defense recorded 5 sacks tonight, making them the XFL's weekly sack leader in back-to-back weeks.

‚¬Â¢ QB Brandon Silvers connected with seven different receivers in the game.

‚¬Â¢ Houston held Arlington scoreless in 3/4 quarters of play.

‚¬Â¢ WR Cedric Byrd and WR Nick Holley both recorded their first receiving TD of the season.

‚¬Â¢ Head Coach Wade Phillips improves to 2-0 (1.000) in the XFL (went 83-69 as a head coach in the NFL).

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